Wayward
by WildlingKnight
Summary: Zelda takes some time to get her thoughts back in order, but loses the way back home. While lost and wounded, she finds another, battling the storm and also trying to find themselves. Together they fight against what has been laid out for them, and find what they have wanted all along.
1. Chapter 1

Alright, so I promised myself I wasn't going to upload any of this until I had it finished, but I'm too excited. I have no beta so please tell me you notice any mistakes. Enjoy :)

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The day had dawned cold and wet, grass and leaves growing heavy and bowing down to a winter soon to come. Her horses hooves thudded on the wooden bridge leading out of the eastern gate and her breath rose in front of her face, while the moisture in the air clung to her clothes and eyelashes. It was still early and though some merchants were up and going about their business along the streets of Castle Town, none paid her any attention as she rode, dressed in a deep indigo cloak over a pretty and simple lilac and white dress. None would recognise her as the sovereign of their country with her hood shadowing her face, her caramel blonde hair braided away down her back, besides the hair at her temples which she left to frame her pretty heart shaped face. None had paid her any heed as her horse trod towards the gate, not even the soldier standing watch as he leant against the stack of crates behind him and sharing a laugh with the doctor whose premises lay opposite his post.

She had passed without event and breathed a silent breath of relief. It was not that she, Princess Zelda, was doing anything wrong, it was that it was inadvisable to be riding alone so soon after the events of The Twilight War, as it had been named. She had received many offers of companionship when she had announced her plans to go riding on her rare day of rest, but she had declined them all, wanting to spend some time alone with her thoughts. Reinstating oneself upon the throne of Hyrule and engaging the long process of healing a battle scarred country was all consuming work and left little time for introspection. After quashing many arguments before they arose, she had donned her riding attire and strapped her rapier to her waist for protection should the need arise.

Now out in the open air of East Hyrule Field, she took a deep breath of the clean, misty air and let it out in one big puff in front of her face, shucking off the weight of her regal bearing and letting a childlike smile cross her face. She urged her mare to a gentle canter, cresting the swell of a small hill and staring out over the expanse of the field. Blankets of mist lay heavy over the shallow ponds and slithered over the grasses in between, looking both liquid and smoke as a strong breeze shifted through the hollows and knolls. Her horse, Nylah, tossed her head and danced on her feet, echoing her mistresses pent up energy and wishing to run it out and Zelda let her, letting out a shout as she almost flew over field, her hood flying back. Her cloaked billowed behind her as she allowed Nylah to run wherever she wanted, unrestricted in the deserted field.

When she began to tire, she carried them over to one of the shallow pools and drinking her fill, Zelda dismounting and kneeling at the edge, removing her brown leather riding gloves and drinking the frigid water from her cupped hands. Zelda had known exactly where she needed to go in order to have the room to allow her mind to take flight. This was the largest area of the field and was close enough to the castle that should she be in danger, she didn't have far to run for safety. But Eastern Hyrule Field held trepidation for her.

Kneeling on the damp ground, she turned to look out over the field behind her. The morning mist seemed to be thickening into fog, reducing her ability to see the lip of land before the abyss on the far side of the field near the Eldin bridge, the grass and the surface of the shallows rippling around them. This place bore pain, fear, panic, loss, victory, relief, joy and a cacophony of other emotions that seemed to strip her of her senses in order to be felt more strongly. Closing her eyes against the din she took soothing breaths. The space between the events then and her presence now seemed to have amplified the shouts of fear, the grunts of exertion, the roars of pain and rage and anguish had all been absorbed into the space. Woven into the fabric of time like a thread into a cloak, to be remembered and replayed every time it was worn. But it hadn't just been her thread of fate, it had been the threads of many, all twisted and blended together. Midna, Link and the Thief King Ganondorf had all been entwined with her.

Midna, Princess of the Twilight Realm. What would she be doing now? Would she have healed her kingdom they way Zelda was trying to heal hers? Zelda often wondered about the Twilight Princess. Often wished she had a way to contact her. It would have been a relief to have someone to share her burdens with, to share the successes and failures of rebuilding crumbling buildings and cementing infirm economies. To have someone who knew what it had felt like to have lost a country. To have endangered its people. To have failed in their duty to protect and raise.

But Midna was gone, and had severed all ties. To prevent a tragedy like this in the future ever exposing the strength of their kingdoms to really be cleverly disguised fragility, balancing on a sword edge. Zelda had understood. Never again could either Princess, current or future, be the downfall of not one but both kingdoms. Never again could they be The Princess Who Failed.

But Link hadn't failed. Link, The Hero of Light. Link, the quiet, unassuming young man who had taken up arms and defeated an evil before he had even truly fully grown. Zelda remembered him clearly but knew little of him other than what she had seen and experienced herself. His fierce determination and kind smile. His strength and courage, and his steadfast nature. His joy and sorrow and some in between. Though mostly a mystery to the Princess, and she mostly a mystery to him, Zelda couldn't help but feel that, through the experiences they had shared, they had understood one another. They had shared a desire to put right what was wrong. To heal the wounds and vanquish the cause of them.

Link had escorted Zelda back to the Castle after Midna had gone. He had been quiet and morose but his strength and courage had remained. His joy eclipsed by sorrow for the time being, but his drive and loyalty kept him moving. She had expressed her gratitude and admiration to him which he had accepted with downcast eyes and a nod of his head. Then he had gone, just like Midna. Back to his home, wherever that was, to heal the wounds on his body and heart, and try to live with the scars on his mind. Zelda had wanted to reward his efforts, had wanted to offer anything within her power to give to the man who delivered her kingdom, and by extension herself. But he had gone, and what with rebuilding her life and the lives of those who resided in Hyrule, Zelda hadn't had the time nor manpower to find out where to. Link had faded from the eyes of the people, but not from her mind.

The cold was seeping into Zelda's legs making her knees ache. Opening her eyes, Zelda took in the desaturated colours of her surroundings, the fog over the field now thick enough that she could no longer see the canyon, or the towering stone structure of Eldin bridge, the rocky cliffs that cradled this part of the land faint, darkly coloured areas. The fog wrapped her up and made her blind and disoriented, the land seeming to have shifted around her. With no way to see the sun, she had no notion of how much time had passed. Even Nylah seemed to have wandered off, swallowed by the murk. Calling for her horse, her voice bounced back at her, sounding somehow more panicked than it did when she spoke it, distorted by the refraction of sound in the condensed fog.

She turned to the sloshing sound nearby and relaxed as Nylah came into view, ears forward and alert. Stroking the mare's velvety nose, she gathered the reins and hauled herself into the saddle. As much as she had wanted to spend the day out of the castle, with the weather rolling in and visibility so low, even she had to admit it was too hazardous. The field felt like it spread infinitely on around her and her disorientation grew as she turned Nylah in what she hoped was the right direction for the bridge and tunnel leading back the Castle Town's east gate.

Listening to her steeds heavy footfalls and occasional snort, Zelda considered her options for preserving her personal time when she got back to the castle. She could hide herself in her study, but the idea of being seated at her desk and not leafing through and reading the papers in the ever growing stack on the corner seemed improbable and threatening to her break away. The change in sound as Nylah moved from dirt to wood barely registered as she gazed unfocused into the space between her mounts ears. She could hole herself up in the library, and place soldiers at the door to prevent disturbances. The library had tall windows where she could sit and watch to see if the storm predicted to move in really did come. Deciding this to be her best bet at maintaining her peace, she finally acknowledged that the high walls around her were not in fact the tunnel she should have passed through in order to get home. Looking back over her shoulder at the wooden posts of the bridge they had just crossed, she considered turning back, but her curiosity kept her going, she had never been this way before. Though perhaps exploring and sightseeing were best left for days when the sights were actually visible. Riding down a high walled path in deep fog that seemed only to be darkening was definitely not one of her brighter ideas, yet still she did not turn back.

Just as Zelda was starting to feel claustrophobic the space appeared to open out before her again, a frigid wind blowing through her and lifting her cloak indicating another wide expanse similar to the one she had left. If she had to guess, she would say she had just found a path connecting Upper Eldin to Lower Eldin, better known as Kakariko Gorge. Nylah slowed as Zelda squinted, trying to make out landmarks, or any marks at all in the wall of grey seeing only desaturated patches blended in, while they made their way cautiously forwards. Suddenly remembering that Kakariko Gorge received its name from the large crevasse running across the field, Zelda reined Nylah in. The last thing she needed was to walk them right over a cliff. Feeling the earth slope downwards as they moved she heard the difference in Nylah's footsteps when she swerved from grass to dirt, and working out that they must have been following a dirt road of some sort and chose to try to remain on it, roads didn't lead off cliffs so if she were to follow it they would remain safe. A sheet rain started to fall, and the rushes of wind threw the droplets into her face even as she lifted and held her hood in place.

Then the road ended. Dull thuds becoming muffled on the sodden grass. Zelda stopped and steered Nylah back and heard the shift in sound as they joined the road again. Turning to her left she urged Nylah a few paces, starting when the loud sound of hooves meeting wood echoed around them and bounced back louder. She pulled Nylah to a stop and turned to see if the bridge was wide enough to turn around on, deciding against any further exploration, and missed Nylah's sensitive ears swiveling as she picked up on and tried to locate subtle sounds.

A throaty skwark sounded at the same time as Nylah released a panicked whinny and Zelda had a split second to hold on before she bolted. Glancing over her shoulder, Zelda's heart skipped in fear as a Kargarok sailed towards her from the gloom, razor talons reaching for her. She pressed herself as close to Nylah's neck as she could and felt the ruffle of air as the monstrous bird missed, circling away to no doubt try again. Nylah galloped forwards blindly and Zelda barely had a second to try and gain control of the fleeing horse before a loud warning screech forced her to duck again. The high winds and speed of Nylah's flight had her cloak billowing and she was almost pulled backwards out of the saddle as it was snagged in the Kargarok's talons, spared only because the fabric tore and was ripped free.

The exit from the Gorge was almost directly ahead from the bridge and luckily Nylah had run straight for it, but due to the wall of fog pressing in on them on all sides, Zelda didn't know they had reached the path until she was almost etched upon the wall lining it. Nylah, blinded by fear and fog, ran so close to the stone that Zelda could feel her skirts snagging on bushes climbing up its face, she yanked the reins to the right to try and steer away but immediately came up against the same on the other side. Trusting in her mount to stay somewhat central on the narrow path Zelda scanned the air over her shoulder, searching for her airbourne assailant, ears primed for the the telltale whistle and screeching. But none came, all that reached her ears was the thundering hooves and panting of her terrified horse. The narrow passage seemed to have deterred the Kargarok from following them.

Leaning upright again, Zelda tried to slow their pace, pulling back on the reins and uttering commands to stop but Nylah was too frightened to listen, the echoing of her horseshoes against the stone road and walls tricking her into believing they were being hounded by many horses bearing monsters wishing to do both she and her mistress harm, the sting of rain hitting her as she ran the sting of their whips.

The sound suddenly fell away again as for the third time that day Zelda felt the walls open up into unseen space. The rain and wind hit them full force after being in a protected and enclosed place, Zelda's hood flew off her head and the rain forced her to squint. She could feel the ground rising up as Nylah sped onward and she pulled on the reins feeling them swerving round to the right. A screech from directly in front of them had Nylah skidding and rearing and Zelda fell backwards, landing heavily on her side from where she had twisted to try and save herself injury.

Nylah brayed and kicked, stomping and showing the whites of her eyes as the Kargarok stuttered, wings beating furiously to prevent collision with the horses hooves. Zelda watched, terrified as her horse threw sense to the heavy wind and turned as she reared, almost coming down on top of Zelda and trampling her as she fled. Gasping for breath, Zelda struggled to her feet. The hair having escaped her braid whipping her face as she was buffeted and pushed, the ever darkening fog pressing in on her and causing her heart to leap into her throat. She didn't know where she was, she had no horse, and danger clearly still lurked in the fields. Pushing in the direction Nylah had run, Zelda dragged herself through the gale, feeling more and more weighted down as the rain soaked her dress and cloak. A shifting dark mass loomed through the fog and Zelda prayed it was a forest or wood of some kind, enough to offer shelter until the worst had passed. She scrambled up the small bank and used the trunks of the trees she passed to hold her upright as she struggled through the roots and leaf litter, her skirts catching and tearing as they was still blown about her. The rain was lighter amongst the trees, beating against the canopy above and dripping down, the roar of the leaves and branches blowing in the wind was deafening. A crack from above brought the fear of falling branches and she hastened as much as she was able deeper into the woods.

Zelda stopped, leaning against a tree to catch her breath and calm her heart, regretting and berating herself for being so foolish. How could she have let this happen? Wasn't she supposed to be intelligent? She felt her boot squelch with a sucking sound as she lifted her foot in order to move on, the rain making the ground muddy and ruining the bottom of her skirts. Just as she was moving on, an unfamiliar sound caught her attention from somewhere behind her, high gurgling calls and the sound of a group of bodies moving, she pushed her back against the tree and brought her dark cloak around her so as to hide the light colours of her dress to avoid attracting the attention of the unknown travellers. In weather like this, of course Zelda wouldn't be the only sorry creature caught out in it and seeking shelter. These woods were probably brimming with hidden things waiting for her to tire and give up so they could move in. This realisation brought fear to her eyes and she moved on as cautiously and quietly as she could. She had to find somewhere safer to wait. Perhaps there was a road through the woods, she could wait in the cover of the treeline and see if anyone passed who could help her.

While the storm raged on and the leaves overhead hissed and roared, it masked the sound of several footsteps following her from a short distance as she fixated on trying to find a road. Just as she thought she could see the trees thinning, they made themselves known. Low gurgling and chirping alerted her to their proximity, turning in time to see pale green eyes almost glowing in the dark, several pairs above several wide gaping mouths, blue tongues lolling out of the sides over yellowing teeth made for eating meat and flesh. The Bokoblins had hemmed her in on all sides she realised as she turned while trying to simultaneously keep them all in sight. She eyed their crude weapons, clubs and blunted blades, trying not to imagine the pain of being hacked by them. Zelda knew Bokoblins on their own were not particularly intelligent, but as a pack they were dangerous. She drew her rapier, hoping the sight of her own polished blade would deter them, if anything it piqued their interest in her, foul beasts that preferred to play with their food, run it down until it could run no more, taunt it into fighting back out of self preservation before cutting it down.

The tension building between them as they circled her finally snapped as a Bokoblin lunged at her, she stepped back and to the side, raising her blade and using it to defend against the incoming blow, slapping the wide knife away from her and whipping across its face with the point of her blade. She saw the opportunity to run open up behind where the Bokoblin had left a hole in the circle and she took it, grabbing a fistfull of her skirts and lifting them in an attempt to make her flight through the rugged undergrowth easier. She heard the hunting call sound behind her and didn't look back, not risking tearing her eyes away from the ground in front of her lest she trip on a protruding root or fallen branch. The mud slowed her down and her dress was torn as it snagged and caught but she ran as fast as she was able, she was not made for this terrain and the knowledge and fear that her assailants were gave her the strength of a prey animal locked in the age old battle versus predator.

Zelda dodged trees and jumped over roots as she ran, never daring to slow, all the while hearing the shouts of her attackers. Looking ahead, she could see light through the trees, thanking the goddesses that she had finally found a road, and that running would be much easier there, she chanced a look back as she broke the treeline only to scream as the ground disappeared from under her feet. Trying to remain upright to land on her feet, she landed heavily on her left ankle, crashing to the ground and catching herself on her hands, her rapier dropped in favour of protecting herself. Pain blossomed in her ankle and she hissed, looking around herself frantically. She appeared to have fallen down a bank into a clearing, to her right she could just make out the opening to a road back through the woods she had just fled through, to her left a battered and shoddy hut stood. Her heart leapt in the hope of safety, but she was not given time to feel it for long as the Bokoblins began to slide down the high bank after her.

Turning herself onto her back, she tried to scramble backwards, away from the advancing monsters who were salivating at her helplessness. Turning her head as they began to circle her again, she caught sight of the Bokoblin she had cut, a slice going across his ugly, brutish face, his blood mingling with the rain, advancing slowly. She could not run, her rapier was out of reach and she was surrounded, her voice dying in her throat preventing her from even crying out for help. Fear made her heart pound in her ears and she closed her eyes, cowering away, raising her arm as the blunted blade was lifted above her head. The seconds seem to drag on forever as she waited for the blow to come, instead she jumped and cried out as a weight landed on her legs, jostling her damaged ankle. Looking down, she recoiled. The body of the Bokoblin lay across her legs, eyes rolled back into its head and an arrow shaft protruding from the back of its skull. She shoved it from her, scrambling back further into the centre of the clearing.

The enraged screeches of its fellows barely covered the sound of rapidly approaching hoof beats. The Bokoblins scattered as two more of their number fell, climbing back up the bank or else running for the trees on the other side of the clearing. The horse cantered close, turning and moving around her, dancing agitatedly on its hooves as its rider scanned the environment through the fog for further threats, bow still drawn and arrow nocked. Zelda squinted up at the rider, their head turned away from her and cloak hood shadowing their face. Was this rider her salvation, or yet another danger?

She glanced quickly over the horse, trying to determine whether the newcomer was a friend or foe, whether she should stay where she was, or if she should try to flee while their back was turned. A chestnut mare with flaxen mane and tail, thicker set than the spry Termina horses used for their speed by the common thief and highwayman. A work horse then, bred for farm labour, strong and sturdy. The mare tossed her head and Zelda caught sight of the markings decorating her forehead and face, gasping as she realised she recognised this horse. She had _ridden_ this horse. Her gaze shot up to the rider again as he turned to climb down. His boots hit the ground on the other side of Epona and he strode around her head, steps faltering slightly when he cleared his horse and took in her pathetic appearance. Her hair was plastered to her face, she was soaked through and more mud showed on her clothes than actual fabric. Link's eyes didn't widen however, in fact his expression barely changed as he bent to offer her his hand.

"Are you hurt, Your Highness?"

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Thanks for reading, let me know what you think :)


	2. Chapter 2

The irony of making a mistake in the sentence asking people to notify you of any mistakes in that last chapter

Going to try and stick to a schedule of uploading a new chapter once a week, we'll see.

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Zelda had lost her voice. This man, whom she had been thinking about that very morning, whom she had hoped one day she might track down, without expecting much success for he had appeared, saved two entire kingdoms and then vanished back to the nowhere from whence he came, whose expression grew steadily more concerned the longer she stared at him, how had he found her?

"Your Highness?" Link raised his voice a little more, perhaps thinking she hadn't quite heard him over the gale and downpour still going strong. Zelda's gaze moved from his face down to the hand he was still holding out to her.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine." She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up, only to catch her as she fell against him, hissing as she put weight on her bad ankle.

"You're hurt?"

"My ankle, I fell and landed badly."

"Can you walk?"

"I...I don't know. It's very painful."

"Perhaps you shouldn't then. D'you think you can get on Epona? I'll lead you back." Back where? She looked over to the tall mare, taller than her own by a few hands, whichever leg she used to mount her, she was going to have to transfer all of her weight to the other, it wasn't going to work without causing her a lot of pain.

"No, she's too tall." Link nodded his head once, as though expecting her answer. He seemed to do some quick thinking and then moved himself around her while still offering her his support. He clasped their left hands together with hers on top, and crossed his right arm around her back, hand resting just above her waist where her ribs ended.

"Is this alright? It isn't too far a walk, we'll just have to move slower." She nodded her head, leaning into him as she tried to take a step, he supported her as she moved her weight onto her bad ankle and stumbled, grasping his hand tight and gritting her teeth against the pain shooting up her leg. He lead her towards a small opening in the high banks surrounding the clearing that she hadn't noticed before in her panic. The frigid wind and rain nipped at their exposed faces, and Zelda used her free hand to pull up her hood, for all the good it did her though being as sodden and soaked as the rest of her. Link glanced over his shoulder and clicked his tongue, Epona's heavy footfalls following almost immediately after.

Moving slowly and using Link for support turned out to be tiring work. She was panting with the effort of keeping as much of her weight off her injury as possible by the time they rounded the corner, fighting through waist high grass that whipped at them in the gust, entering what looked to be a cave, which then turned out to be a tunnel cutting right through the stone of a small cliff. The through-cave acted as a wind tunnel, their cloaks pressing against their backs as they staggered against the force, and tried to keep their footing on the uneven stone.

They emerged on the other side and Zelda looked up from the ground where she had been watching her steps. There was a spring here. The surface of the water, usually so placid and inviting as springs ought to be, was hazy with the pelting of the rain. She felt Link subtly push her on and realised she had stopped to stare. Tightening her hold on his hand again, she allowed him to half support, half carry her over the softened earth where the dirt met the sand of the spring. She tried to map out where she must be, and the only spring surrounded by woodland that she knew of was in Faron. Had she really come that far south? Did Link live in Faron Woods? From what she had heard and read, Faron wasn't a particularly hospitable place, with wild, dense woodland and many creatures wandering the deep heart of the Wood. Her recent experience there seemed to support this theory. But that was where Link seemed to be leading her, and that hut she had stumbled upon, as rundown as it had appeared, had been built there for a reason, she was sure.

They slipped and trudged through yet more woodland. Link seemed to know where he was going, so Zelda put her trust in him as they slogged through the muddy forest floor, her skirts hitting them both in the legs as they were blown about them. Zelda desperately hoped that wherever Link was taking her, it had a hot bath she could sink into and wash away the horrors of the day. The rain seemed to lash down with a whole new intensity and the sound of it hitting something wooden reached her ears, she squinted up ahead to see what was coming. A wooden rope bridge lay before them, spanning a chasm she had no hope of seeing the bottom of. The bridge swayed and creaked, and she pulled up short, squeezing Link's hand subconsciously. He squeezed back reassuringly, urging her across as the wind howled and threatened to blow their hoods down.

"It's alright." She heard Link call over the storm, "It'll hold us, just take your time." Zelda wanted to spend as little of her time on that bridge as possible. Allowing Link to walk her onto the boards, slick with the torrents of rain and moss, Zelda held her breath, trying her hardest to keep her eyes on her feet. The bridge swayed and jumped in the gale, and she prayed to every deity she knew that she would make it across. Epona's loud footfalls behind them did nothing to prevent her disquiet, despite knowing the faithful mount wouldn't have entered onto the bridge if there was even a chance it was unsafe.

Zelda exhaled slowly as the ground under her feet turned from wood to dirt. Link led them to the side of the road, closed in by high stone walls and maneuvered her to lean against the rock. "I need to close the gate." She turned to watch him and he pat Epona's flank as she passed him, closing the left gate and struggling to push the other one as the wind fought against him. When he managed to lock the gates behind them, he came back to her and took up his position again. As they walked, an opening in the rock wall caught her eye and she turned her head to see another spring. She didn't even know there was a spring this far south, and made a mental note to ask Link about it later if she got the chance. His arm tightened around her back as she slipped slightly and she returned her eyes to the path and her feet.

The path opened up briefly into a small clearing and she could see that it continued on the other side. The wind swirled around the small round space, buffeting and battering them as they crossed. As they entered the path on the other side, they had a small respite from the wind but the rain lashed down harder than ever as the tree canopies over head shrunk away, revealing another small clearing after a short walk. This time, on the other side of the clearing, a path lined with wooden fences sloped down and curved away out of sight. And on the left there a stood a tall, great tree. Zelda barely spared it a glance, assuming the path was their destination whilst simultaneously wondering how much farther they had to go, but looked up and stared when Link steered them towards the tree, and saw the ladder and door built into the enormous trunk. Link stopped at the base of the ladder.

"D'you think you can climb up?" Zelda had to tear her eyes away from what was discernibly a roof built into the trunk, and looked over Link's face, he clearly hadn't thought about this obstacle when he'd decided to bring her here. She turned her gaze to the ladder, it was more than twice her height, and with her barely being able to carry her own weight, she doubted her ability to climb it. Link seemed to sense her answer before she spoke it. "I can carry you up, if you'll allow it." Zelda thought she heard the 'I think' in his tone, but with the rain lashing and wind howling, she nodded her head.

Link let go of her waist, keeping hold of her left hand in his to keep her steady, he crouched down and Zelda's heart leapt into her throat as she felt his other hand lift her skirts to put his arm through her legs, wrapping it around her right leg at the same time as he pulled her over his shoulders with his left hand. She found herself lying across his shoulders and grabbed on tight to his tunic and cloak as he stood slowly. She had seen this lift performed before by the men in her army, being trained to carry their brothers away from danger if they were to become wounded in battle, but she never thought she would be the one to be carried. Link's right arm fit snugly in the crook of her knee, and his right hand grabbed a hold of her right arm in order to keep her secure around his shoulders. He stepped forward onto the bottom rung, and used his one free hand to haul them slowly up the ladder. She could feel and hear the effort it took, the way his body would tense and strain, and the way he held his breath as he pulled their combined weights up, and took a quick exhale and inhale in the time he grabbed for the next rung. Zelda's heart skipped every time he did this, trying her hardest to put her trust in him and not imagine the fall should he miss.

By the time they reached the top, Link was panting and he staggered slightly on the raised wooden porch, causing Zelda to gasp and tighten her hold on him. Using his free hand, Link fished around in the pouch on his belt, coming up with a small ring of keys, letting go of her arm to find the right one, before unlocking the door and turning sideways to get them both through the frame. He didn't put her down right away, instead crossing the dark room, his boots thumping on the wooden floor and floorboards creaking as he pulled a chair out from under a small table and dragged it around. He crouched again and let her down, holding onto her as he stood and helping lower her into the chair.

"Are you alri-" They jumped as the door blew shut in the wind, bouncing against the frame and cutting off the dim light from the doorway. "I need to secure Epona." Zelda nodded and watched as he strode toward the door, battling it open and disappearing back down the ladder. She shivered now that she was out of the wind and rain, looking around the room but seeing very little in the grey light from outside. She sincerely hoped Nylah was safe. She had been so frightened, she hadn't even been able to see where the mare had run. Had she come into the woods? Her blood ran cold at the thought of her beautiful mare falling to the blunted blades of Bokoblins. Hearing the sound of Link's return, she saw him through the open door as it swung on its hinges, he had Epona's saddlebags slung over his shoulder and he disappeared from view, walking left on the porch. Zelda only had a second to wonder what he was up to when another loud bang from above made her jump out of her skin. The already dim light dimmed further as what looked to be a trapdoor in the ceiling had been closed.

Then Link was back. He threw the saddlebags down on the floor just inside and turned to shut and bolt the door. The darkness became complete, and Zelda heard him catching his breath. She could hear the faint sound of water droplets hitting wood now that most of the sound from outside had been blocked out and wondered if perhaps there was a leak somewhere. She shivered again and started as Link's footsteps indicated he was on the move. She felt him come fairly close to her, stopping just in front of her and to the right, she could hear him shifting around, then the distinctive sound of flint being struck. Small sparks caught her attention, but didn't last long enough to provider her with any sort of visual clarity, until they caught on whatever kindling Link was attempting to burn. A warm, orange light grew from a circle in the pale, curved, protruding wall to her right.

Link took a step in her direction and halted as though unsure of himself. "Could you... uhm, there's some firewood…" He gestured to her right and Zelda looked down beside her chair. A small pile of wood, cut into foot long wedges, sat stacked up neatly beside what she now knew to be an earthen fireplace. She reached down and picked up a log, handing it over to Link, who took it from her with a small smile and threw it through the hole, holding his hand out for another one, and then another one. "That should be enough, thanks." Zelda nodded, wrapping her arms around herself and trying not to let her teeth chatter so loudly that her rescuer could hear them. The fire's warmth hadn't spread out of the hearth yet, and she was soaked through to her skin.

He seemed to realise, as he turned from her suddenly, crossing the room and stopping at a wooden bench, moving the buckets and a spare saddle onto the floor so he could lift the lid and rummage around inside of it. Zelda's eyes wandered now that her eyes had grown accustomed to the firelight and took in what she assumed to be Link's home.

The walls were pale and earthy tones, made from stone and wooden planks, with wood support struts joining the rounded space that looked to be made from the tree it was built into. The tree seemed to invade, thick branches curled around the walls and leaves still grew in places. Link had made use of them, tying ropes between the branches and support beams, crossing the space and spanning the walls where he had hung various belongings from them; clothing, obviously drying after being washed, blankets and even food; curing meats and vegetables hung out of the way of hungry rodents and critters.

To her right, past the fireplace, was a workbench with a square, metal box integrated into the surface. A sink of some kind, she assumed, although the lack of taps gave her doubts. There was another, smaller fireplace built into the base of the bench and a removeable lid in the surface above it, perhaps a sort of oven, and shelving nailed to the wall above the bench and a unit to the side held tableware and jars. Past that, there was what appeared to be an archway of sorts, with a rope tied across and a large curtain bunched to the side and tied with a rope. The firelight wasn't directed here, so Zelda couldn't see into this dark, shadowy corner, so moved her attention to her other side. Another ladder caught her eye, and her gaze followed it up to a small landing, also shadowed by the lack of light, and another ladder leading even higher and out of sight at the top of the dark room.

Zelda quickly looked at the fire when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Link stand up straight again and close the lid of the bench, she didn't want him to think she was prying. He walked back toward her with some blankets piled in his arms, depositing them on the table next to her. "I can take your cloak." His voice was so much quieter, now that he didn't have to shout over the storm that still raged on outside the walls of Link's quaint home. Zelda unclasped her cloak, accepting the hand that Link offered to help her stand so she could remove it, and handing it to him. He slung it over the back of another chair, and grabbed one of the blankets from the table, letting it fall open and then folding it half to thicken it up. He held it up as though asking permission, to which Zelda nodded and he threw it around her shoulders. As she pulled the slightly itchy fabric around herself, Link took her cloak and walked over to the shadowy area she couldn't see. He came back a few moments later, minus his own cloak, and from the sound of his lighter footsteps, without his boots too.

Zelda watched him grab two cups from a shelf and pad over to a barrel near what she thought to be his sink, he removed the lid and dipped the cups inside, before moving over to her and offering her a cup. She accepted the cup of water, uttering a soft "Thank you" and he nodded once before taking a sip from his own.

"Would you like some tea?" The thought of a warm drink was welcome.

"Yes please, if it's not too much trouble." Link shook his head and placed his cup down on the table beside her, then he moved over to the shelves, picking up a thick, quilted cloth and removing the pot that had been hanging from a pole and chain inside his fireplace. He used a jug to collect and pour some water into it and replaced it back onto the chain in order to warm. He then pulled a jar down from his shelf and a little ball on a small, tarnished silver chain. The ball had tiny, pin-sized holes all over the lower half, and Zelda saw that it had been made from a Deku Nut. She watched in fascination, as Link pulled the little ball apart and dipped his hand into the jar, pulling out what she recognised as Deku tea leaves. He put two pinches of the tea leaves into the ball and pushed it closed again, putting the jar back and checking on the water, which was still a little ways away from boiling.

"If you don't mind, Your Highne-"

"Zelda. Please." Link dipped his head.

"If you don't mind, I can get you some dry clothes, but they will be some of mine, I hope that's ok." His eyes were averted to the side, showing signs of feeling awkward and embarrassed.

"That would be greatly appreciated, Link. Thank you. I hate to impose on you and your home, you've been so kind." He shook his head again, choosing not to speak, and she could have sworn she saw his cheeks color slightly before he turned away. She watched as he crossed the room, heading for the ladder and climbing up it with practised speed and ease. Once on the first landing, he lit a lantern and she could see him looking around on a shelving unit, covered by a sheet of fabric. He returned minutes later, climbing one handed down the ladder again as his other arm held some items of clothing. Instead of adding them to the pile of blankets he had brought over earlier though, he crossed to the shadowy space. Lighting a lantern there as well, he placed the clothing down on a small wooden stool and loosened a small rope keeping the curtain to the side. He then came and picked up the other chair at the table, taking it into the now covered area. He returned to help her walk across the room, moving the curtain aside for her and helping sit her down on the chair so she could keep the weight off of her damaged ankle. He dipped his head to her and left her to change.

From where she sat, Zelda looked around this space she had been unable to see before. It was much the same as the rest of Link's house, but to her left there was a wooden banister, hers and Link's cloaks thrown over it to dry, blocking off a large, square hole in the ground. She could see the top of another ladder and wondered vaguely what lay down there. The wind and rain sounded louder now that she was away from the cheerily crackling fire, and she could feel a cold draft coming up from the hole. The curtain to her right was in the vein of the tapestries hanging on the walls of her castle, rich dark coloured threads woven together in patterns, and it hung half a foot off the ground, making her feel exposed even though she could hear Link moving around on the other side of the house.

She turned her attention to the clothing sitting next to her. Link had brought the stool closer to her so she didn't have to get up. Looking down at her dirty and ripped skirts, she sighed, it was safe to say that this dress had been ruined. Gently taking off her left boot, she sucked in a breath at the sight of her swollen and bruised ankle, and removed her other boot. She pulled at the lacing at the front of her dress, pulling it open and down her arms, before pushing it down to her waist. She lifted herself carefully with one hand gripping the edge of the chair, and pushed the dress down over her hips, lowering herself back down and pushing it down her legs, kicking it away with her good leg.

She sat shivering in her white cotton shift, which was also damp. She would have to remove it, she would catch a cold if she wore it any longer, and she doubted very much Link would have anything else for her to wear under the clothes he had lent her. Feeling self conscious, despite the fact that Link could not see her, she slowly peeled the cotton away from her, slipping out of it the same way she had escaped her dress. Covering her chest with one arm, she leant to the side and picked up the first item from the stool, allowing it to unfold as she picked it up to identify it. It was a shirt, an off-white linen, soft and comfortable feeling, a pull over, with lacing to close and a high collar, practical for someone such as Link no doubt.

Zelda lay it over her legs and she found the bottom and quickly pulled it over her head, slipping her arms into the sleeves, finding that they tapered slightly towards her wrists, probably so that arm guards could be worn over them without an excess of material to get in the way. The shirt was longer than she had first expected and guessed that if she were to stand, it would fall to the tops of her thighs. The hem at the bottom was rounded, with small slits at the sides where the back met the front. Looking down her front, the lacing left her quite exposed, so she pulled it closed right to the top, tying it in a neat bow.

Looking next to the trousers she had been given, Zelda felt the thick fabric they were made from, designed to be warm and hard-wearing. Possibly some kind of wool, woven in such a way to be strong and durable and dyed an inoffensive grey. She slipped them up her legs, again lifting herself so as to pull them over her hips, and tying the lacing at the front. The trousers also tapered towards her ankles so as to fit easily into boots, again, practicality clearly at the forefront of Link's clothing choices. She pulled the tie from the end of her braid and ran her fingers through her damp hair, untangling it to allow it to dry. Giving herself as best a once over as she could, and determining that she was decent, she cleared her throat. "Link?" There was a long pause, then his bare feet could be seen as he stopped on the other side of the curtain.

"I'm here."

"I'm dressed." He opened the curtain cautiously, and she smiled at him, holding her arms out to her sides slightly as though asking his opinion. He nodded his head once, smiling back and moving over to help her stand. Zelda noticed, as he walked towards her, that he had changed too, a similar outfit to hers, except it looked more worn, and lived-in. The trousers were weather beaten, the colour faded in places, and the lacing on his shirt was broken, leaving it loose and open. Zelda had to tear her eyes away from his chest as he bent, to help bare some of her weight as she stood. He walked her back over to the chair she had sat in before, only he had turned it toward the table and left the blanket draped over the back for her to wrap herself in, and he placed a mug in front of her. While she had been changing, it appeared the water had boiled, and he had a copper kettle sitting in his sink. He used the quilted cloth to fetch the pot from the fire and used another cloth to tip the boiling water into the kettle, spilling a small amount into the sink. Then, bringing the kettle to the table, he picked up the small ball he had filled with tea leaves before, and dropped it into the kettle, leaving the chain hanging over the side. She could see now that it was right in front of her, that the chain had a little metal ball on the end, to weight it and stop it from falling into the kettle.

"Oh! It's a strainer!" Link looked up at her bemusedly. She smiled apologetically. "I couldn't figure out what it was."

"Don't you have tea at the castle?"

"Yes, but we use these little silver spoons that sit across the cup." When his expression remained bemused, she continued, "The spoon has tiny holes in, you put the tea leaves onto the spoon and then pour hot water through it." His expression cleared for a moment, then he frowned slightly.

"That tea would be very weak." When she only blinked at him, he motioned to the kettle, "This will be stronger than you're used to." He poured the tea into her mug and she noted the dark amber colour. When he asked her if she wanted milk, he apologised for it not being cold, and that it was goat milk. She waved away his apologies, helping herself to sugar when he pointed out a small jar on the table. She blew on the surface of the tea for a moment, before carefully tilting the mug to her lips. Link had been right, it was much stronger than she was used to, but it wasn't unpleasant. It had an earthier taste than the tea at her castle, and the goats milk tasted slightly sweeter. She realised Link had been watching her, gauging her reaction, and she took another sip while looking at him, showing she was fine. He seemed to nod slightly to himself, and proceeded to pour himself a cup, pouring only a small amount of milk into his cup and leaving it unsweetened. "Are you hungry?"

"A little." In truth, she was starving. She had no idea what time it actually was, but she hadn't eaten until just after dawn, and after the exhausting events of the day, that felt like a very long time ago.

"I can make some pumpkin and goat stew, I'm sorry I don't have much else."

"That would be fine, thank you." She sipped her tea delicately. He set about gathering ingredients, taking covered dishes from his shelves and chopping the vegetables he retrieved from them, before disappearing behind the curtain for a few minutes. He returned with a wrapped package, which turned out to be raw meat, and Zelda figured that the hole in the floor must be a cellar. Cold enough to keep meat, and probably other foods, preserved for a few days. She watched him work, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the loose collar of his shirt falling down his shoulder. His movements were easy and practised, obviously comfortable in his home, and though Zelda had thought much of him in the past weeks, she had never thought to see him being so domestic. His house was warm and inviting, and although he was halting, shy and quiet, he was warm too.

Link fetched another pot from his cellar, a bigger one than that he had used to heat the water, and began to throw everything in, before he hung it above the fire. "It will be a while, I can get you some bread and cheese while you wait?" When she nodded her head with an embarrassed smile, he went to fetch it. He cut her a few pieces, placing them on a plate with a heel of goat cheese. "I'm sorry everything is goat. We breed them here, so it's all we know." She shook her head to show she was not at all bothered by it, her mouth full. "We trade the meat and milk, and the wool, even the horns fetch a price. We grow pumpkins here too. It's sort of what Ordon is known for." His ears went red as he sat down opposite her and he became very interested in his tea, as though embarrassed he had overshared.

"Ordon is not in Hyrule, is it? I've seen Ordona written as the capital of Latoan on maps, but I had no idea there was a village named Ordon." Link nodded as he swallowed a mouthful of his tea.

"Ordon is a village in Ordona, which is a province and the capital of Latoan, and Latoan is a neighbouring country to Hyrule, but is still under the rule of, well...you."

"Because we are an empire." Link nodded, draining his cup and getting up to check on the stew. Zelda looked down at the table top. It felt strange to realise that Link wasn't from the same country that she had been born into, even if he was technically under her rule. But he had the long, pointed ears of a Hylian. She turned to look at him, confirming to herself that she was right. From her readings, she knew that Hylians were from Hyrule. Meaning, whether or not Link had been born in Ordon, a part of him was still from Hyrule at least. Should she ask him? Was it too personal a question to ask the origins of his birth? Would he even know?

"Why were you out in the storm?" His voice startled her from her musings, even though it was low and quiet and he turned to look at her while he stirred the stew.

"I was taking some time for myself. Since the Twilight War, I have been busy trying to heal my country. I needed a few moments to feel like a human, instead of a crown." He didn't say anything, just locked her with his piercing stare, and she looked away down at his table top "As someone who traversed all over a country and deep into ancient, forgotten places, and faced unimaginable horrors, putting your life at risk again and again, that must sound very selfish to you."

"Not really." Zelda looked back up at him again, he had turned back to the stew, but by the fire dancing in his eyes, she could see he wasn't really looking at it. "You have to try and rebuild a kingdom. You don't have anyone telling you how to do it, you're having to try and figure out how to do it on your own. At least I had Midna bossing me about, and telling me where to go, and yelling at me if I did something wrong. I'd take fighting through an old underwater temple over meetings and paperwork any day." Zelda laughed. He smiled and glanced at her, stepping away from the fireplace and taking his seat again.

"You fought through an underwater temple?" Link nodded. "What was it like?"

"Wet." Zelda laughed again. "I thought I'd never be dry again." They settled into a comfortable silence, the storm still howling outside and the crackle of the fire taking the place of conversation. "So," His voice croaked and he cleared his throat before continuing, "if you were taking a break from the castle, how did you end up in Faron Woods being chased by Bokoblins?" Zelda took a deep breath.

"Well. I was rather foolish actually. The fog rolled in and I lost my way back to the castle, and instead of turning around, I carried on. Then I was attacked on the road and my horse bolted, I fell from the saddle and decided to find shelter in the woods."

"That _was_ foolish." Zelda bristled slightly and Link laughed quietly. "I'm just saying, for a Princess to go wandering around on her own in the fog, that's pretty dangerous."

"Yes, well, thankfully the goddesses decided to take pity on me, and they sent me a hero." Link's smile fell slightly as he got up to check on the stew again, grabbing some bowls from his shelf and using his cloths to remove the pot from the fire. He grabbed a ladle from a small rack above the circle in the wall and began to dish out the bubbling food. He carried the bowls to the table, going back to fetch some spoons, and settled down opposite Zelda to eat. She tucked in immediately, enjoying the hot, savoury dish, feeling the warmth flood through her as she ate. They ate in silence, an occurrence Zelda was unused to, she very rarely dined alone while at the castle and there was always some sort of conversation going on. She slowed her eating so as not to just sit and wait for Link to finish since he seemed to have taken his time with his meal unlike her. Her mind buzzed with questions she wanted to ask him, but he didn't seem to want to engage in conversation, keeping his eyes down as he focussed on his meal. When he finally put his spoon down and leant back in his chair, Zelda leant forwards.

"What other types of temples did you visit, while rescuing Hyrule?"

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Ending on questions seems to be my thing

Leave me something nice if you liked it :)


	3. Chapter 3

I hope you're enjoying this so far :)

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Zelda sat wrapped in one of Link's thick woollen blankets, her foot raised up on the stool he had brought over from the back of his house, and hid the lower part of her face, which she was sure was reddening the longer Link knelt in front of her and gently poked at and maneuvered her ankle. He had pushed the trouser leg up her calf and his warm hands rubbed over her skin, she felt callouses and scars and wondered how many he had picked up from his work as a ranch hand, and how many were a result of his efforts to save Hyrule. She bit her lip and inhaled sharply whenever he touched a particularly painful area, and he apologised every time.

"I think its just a bad sprain, but you should probably stay off it as much as you can. At least until we can get you to the spirit spring." He pushed himself to his feet, subconsciously dusting his knees, and pulled her trouser leg back down while pulling his shirt back up his shoulder as it slipped down for the hundredth time. Zelda had stopped herself from asking why he kept the shirt at all, considering the lacing was broken and he had to keep replacing it on his freckled shoulders, but asking that question meant she had to acknowledge when she noticed his shoulders at all, so she kept it to herself. Link poured them both another cup of tea each and stoked the fire as Zelda pulled the blanket around herself tighter, the air having become chillier signalling that night must have began to fall.

Sitting opposite her and wrapping a blanket about his own shoulders, Link sipped his tea. She watched him from the corner of her eye, thinking back to their earlier conversation. He had haltingly told her of the temples from his journey, seeming bemused by her eagerness. She suspected he had purposely missed out a few points, but he recounted the key parts, and from this she was able to stitch together a timeline of sorts. When she had asked about the events following his trip to the twilight realm, he had become even more hesitant, and fed her even fewer details. And then she had brought up Midna, and he had closed up entirely. They had sat in heavy silence, and Zelda had detected the sense of forlornness rolling off of him and bit her tongue. Then he had taken a deep breath and offered to look over her ankle for her, and the warmth had returned to the room.

Zelda started slightly as Link pushed himself to his feet again, wandering over to his door and unbolting it, taking a quick look outside at the misery and sadness that had enveloped Hyrule. The rain still poured, and the wind still howled, and from the dim quality of what little light was left of the day, the fog still clung desperately to the air. She picked up her tea and sipped it as Link bolted the door again, turning and catching her watching him.

"I'm going to take Epona up to the ranch." He crossed to the banister at the back of his house and threw his cloak around his shoulders, it must have still been damp from the soaking it received earlier but he seemed to pay it no mind, "Put her in the barn out of the rain. I thought this would have let up by now." He was putting his boots on when he stopped and looked up at her, as though just remembering her. "Will you be alright for a few minutes?"

"Of course." Zelda managed a smile despite the slight skip of her heart at the thought of being left completely alone. As comfortable as she had grown in Link's presence, she was unsure she would feel the same when left by herself. He dipped his head and pulled his hood up, unbolting his door again.

"I won't be long." He threw over his shoulder as he strode out into the storm, pulling the door closed behind him.

Zelda burrowed deeper into Link's blanket, inhaling deeply to distract herself by trying to identify the scents she detected. There was the strong woody smell of the bench he had stored them in, and something slightly animal although it was now so faint, she could only guess it must be made from the wool of the goats Ordon was known for. There was also another faint smell, though she couldn't quite place it, and no matter how deeply she inhaled, she just couldn't get enough of it to identify it.

A loud bang from the top of the house made her start, sitting up in the chair and eyes darting around in the gloom trying to identify the source. Another bang sounded, this time from lower down and in the direction of the front of the house, and Zelda realised with a cold ripple running down her spine that Link hadn't locked the door behind himself. Images of glowing green eyes and blunted Bokoblin blades flashed through her mind and she felt her throat close up. Slowly she unravelled the blanket from about herself and used the table to haul herself to her feet. Limping slowly and heavily, she made her way over to the door. Perhaps Link had forgotten something, or the ranch wasn't far at all and he was back already. She remembered him closing the trap door in the roof and figured he was perhaps weatherproofing his house in another way.

Halfway across the room, she reached the ladder that lead up to the second floor and grabbed hold, forcing herself to breathe and take some of the weight off her ankle. She took another deep, bracing breath and moved for the door again, stumbling as she reached it and catching herself on it. Righting herself and leaning her weight on the wall beside the door, she rested her hand on the handle, silently counting three breaths before turning it and pulling the door open.

"Link?" She could hear nothing else over the pelting of the rain hitting the wood of the porch and walls of the house and contemplated just going back to the fire. Opening the door wider however, she leant out of the door slightly to get a better look. Her hair whipped at her face as she turned to look up and down the porch, before looking down at the fence lined path she had spied earlier. Could that be where Link had gone? The fog had thickened and the dimness of the light made it difficult to see very far, but she couldn't see any signs of his return, unless he was at the foot of the ladder leading to her position. She had barely taken a shaky, unsteady step when something large and dark fell from above her and landed heavily on the porch at her feet.

She screamed, throwing herself back inside, grunting with the pain the movement caused her ankle but determined to throw the door shut and lock it. She slid down to the floor and crawled away from the door, panting and panicking, and looking for anything she could use as a weapon. She spied Link's sword leaning against the bench he had retrieved the blankets from earlier in the evening and made for it, dragging it toward the centre of the room and throwing the scabbard from her. Zelda turned and sat, alternating between staring at the door and flicking her eyes upwards toward the darkened trapdoor, waiting for whatever was out there to start showing signs of wanting to get in and squeezing the grip of the sword so hard her knuckles were white. She sincerely hoped there was no other way into the house besides the two she already knew about, both of which she prayed were inaccessible. She sat for what felt like an eternity, her heart in her throat making it difficult to was a cold draft from behind her, making the hair on her arms lift and she turned, the curtain that hung over the space at the back of Link's house swaying slightly, and her heart sped up as she remembered the cellar. She had never ascertained if there was another entrance from down there.

Sounds from the door made her head snap back to the front. She watched as the handle jiggled and turned repeatedly before a loud banging sounded on the wood. She heard a muffled male voice shout two syllables that she recognised as her name and she dropped the sword, scrambling back toward the door as relief began to flood through her and climbing up the wood until she could reach the bolt. The metal scraped at the same time as Link must have tried to force the door open again, the door bursting open and Link virtually falling through the doorway, knocking into Zelda and sending them both tumbling to the floorboards. The wind flew out of her lungs as his weight hit her and he only managed to stop what would have been a very painful collision of their heads by throwing his hands out, landing heavily on either side of her head.

He grunted as he landed on top of her, "What happened, are you alright? Why did you lock me out?" He was soaked through once again and she could feel the cold water seeping through her borrowed clothes. As he pushed himself back up off of her and into a sitting position next to her, Zelda couldn't find the strength to speak, thoroughly winded, crippled by the pain shooting up her leg, and the fear still gripping her heart, she curled on her side and held her ankle, face scrunched in pain. "Zelda?" She shook her head, breathing through her teeth to try and coax some air back into her lungs.

She could hear him get to his feet and bend to haul her to her feet again, much like he had the first time they had met in the woods. This time however, rather than supporting her as she walked, he lifted her clear off her feet, carrying her back across the room to the chair. She felt him wrap the blanket around her again before leaving her. Then she heard the sound of the door closing and the bolt slotting into place, before he was by her side again. "What can I do?" She shook her head again, resting her forehead on the knee she had drawn up in order to hold her ankle again. He left her again and she could hear him moving things just behind her at his fireplace. She could hear water sloshing and fire crackling but took no notice, just focussing on breathing through her pain, feeling lightheaded and nauseous.

A few moments later however, she felt gentle hands, no longer warm due to the drop in temperature and having been outside, prying her hands away from her ankle, and then the feeling of something damp and very warm being carefully wrapped around her entire lower leg and foot. Lifting her head and opening her eyes, she could see Link trying to carefully and slowly straighten her leg back out, sitting on the stool she had been using to rest her injury and placing her foot in his lap, gently pressing the warm cloth to her skin and rubbing carefully. Letting her head fall back against the back of the chair, Zelda closed her eyes again and concentrated on deepening her breathing and unclenching her teeth.

When the faintness passed, she raised her head again, peering at Link who was concentrating on her injury. He still wore his soaking cloak, the hood pushed back and his face pulled in a frown. He seemed to sense her gaze and looked up, frown barely clearing. "Is that better?" Zelda nodded and Link turned his face down again. "I'm sorry for…" He motioned back toward the doorway with a tilt of his head as he continued to apply light pressure to her ankle.

"It was an accident." She was embarrassed to find her voice still sounded shaky.

"What happened?" Zelda was quiet for a few moments, heart rate still elevated despite Link's efforts to restore calm.

"I-" She swallowed thickly then tried again, "There was noise, I thought it was you. But you weren't there. Then something fell and I was frightened" Her voice faded to a whisper. Link's face cleared as realisation seemed to dawn.

"It was a tree branch. I kicked it off the porch when I came back. It must have fallen down the side of the house."

"It scared me half to death."

"So you locked the door." Zelda nodded as Link filled in the blanks for himself. "How did you make it that far on this?" He asked as he unwrapped her ankle and peered at it.

"With great difficulty."

"I reckon." He wrapped her ankle again, concern lining his face as he looked up toward the top of his house, his gaze seemed to follow the path of the ladders down, snagging on the sword lying on the floor near the middle of the room. "So you won't be able to climb a ladder then."

"I doubt it. Why do you ask?"

"Didn't." He turned to look at her, examining her face. "I will have to carry you again, will that be alright?" She nodded apprehensively, she didn't much enjoy it the last time, but looking at the ladders they wouldn't have to be on them long. He lowered her ankle carefully to the ground and stood, removing his cloak and throwing it in a bundle toward the back of the house before offering her a hand. She dropped the blanket and allowed him to pull her up, moving much the same way as before, and feeling just as embarrassed as last time as he crouched and slipped his arm between her knees in order to hold her securely across his shoulders. As he stood, she tried to grasp at his shirt in an effort to steady herself, but his shirt had slipped down his shoulder again and her nails scraped skin and her fingertips bruised into his flesh. "Don't worry, I won't drop you." He grunted. Zelda refrained from letting out any strained words from where her diaphragm was compressed. He placed his foot on the bottom rung of the ladder, shifting her slightly one last time to make sure he had her, and making her gasp and dig her fingers in harder.

Then Link began to ascend the ladder and Zelda decided not to watch the way he climbed, for every time he let go of the ladder with his one free hand, she imagined him missing and having more than just a sprained ankle to worry about. Instead she watched the floor slip slowly away from them and wondered if that was somehow worse. He was panting again by the time he reached the first floor and let her down. He helped her maneuver over to a section of log, turned up on its end and clearly used as a stool. Then he sat on the ground, leaning his back against the railing as he caught his breath. Zelda looked about herself while Link recovered, taking in the shelving unit she had noticed earlier where he had fetched their clothes from. It was the ornaments that caught her attention the most however. She couldn't help but feel the corners of her mouth pick up as her eyes fell on a pictograph of a clearly younger and very excited Link sitting upon a horse that could only be Epona, perhaps a momento of the first time he had ridden her. Next to that was a pictograph of some children that Link must have been fond of.

Zelda saw Link watching her from the corner of her eye and turned to look at him, he had recovered his breath and was looking at her with a faintly curious expression, as though her interest in his belongings was unusual. When the silent eye contact became awkward he looked up to his right to the next floor. "I'm going to put a light on." His voice was low and he didn't look at her again as he stood and climbed up to the next floor. She watched him go, wondering what she should have said to put him at ease. With her position so close to the foot of the ladder, she could not see what he was doing, instead listening to the shuffling of his boots on the wood, the sound of material rustling. Light flared as he lit another lantern, and she returned her attention to the covered unit next to her. Just as she reached out to peek beneath the cover, something falling from the top floor right down to the bottom floor made her jump and she snatched her hand back. Using the ladder to pull herself up on one foot, she leant forward to see a pillow sitting on the floor in the middle of the room from where Link had thrown it down.

"You ready?" She turned to see him at the top of the ladder and moved back to where she had been sitting to allow him the room to come down. They resumed their awkward climbing of the ladder, the view of being so high up making Zelda grip all the tighter and feel faintly nauseous. When he put her down on the landing he held her steady as she sat down on the edge of his bed. She tried not to study this so far unseen portion of the house, feeling that of all of Link's home, the place where he slept was the most personal. Instead she watched Link as he stretched and rolled his shoulders, and listened to the pummeling of the rain and battering of the wind.

"There are a few blankets on the bed." She felt more of the itchy woollen blankets beneath her hand where it rested beside her leg and wondered how many blankets Link actually owned. "But there are more there if you get cold." He pointed to two more blankets neatly folded on the floor by the head of the bed. He shifted uncomfortably, looking around as though trying to think of anything else he may have to tell her, or perhaps feeling self-conscious that the princess of Hyrule was currently sitting in his bedroom.

"Thank you Link, you are most kind. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for all that you have done for me." Zelda found herself speaking, not only for the deeds Link had done her this day, but for all those he had done her previously, in saving her kingdom and restoring her throne. He turned his gaze down to his boots where he scuffed one on the floorboards.

"It's my pleasure, Princess." The silence hung heavy, their earlier camaraderie over dinner having evaporated after her line of questioning about his journey, and she found herself wishing she could take it back. "Well, good night. I'll be downstairs if you need me, just call." He turned from her as she uttered another word of thanks, pausing in the act of climbing down the ladder and pointing to the beam above her head. "Oh, that lantern can be a bit finicky, so you might have trouble lighting it again. It's an old one so… I don't use it a lot."

"Alright. Thank you."

"Good night."

"Good night, Link." He smiled at her before continuing his descent. She sat still on the edge of his bed as she listened to him go. The light dimmed as he turned the lantern on the first floor out, then the sounds of his getting ready for sleep were drowned out by the storm, so much louder here at the top of the house. Finally tearing her aimless stare away from the space where Link had vanished, she assessed her surroundings. His bed filled most of the space, underneath a window where the shutters rattled as they were buffeted by the gale. He slept with his head furthest away from the ladder and the window to his right and she noticed he'd left his remaining pillow pushed up the corner where the two walls met. Leaning across the bed, she snagged the corner and pulled it closer toward her, hugging it to herself for a moment, noting the fullness and softness and guessing it was full of some sort of bird down, before putting it in the center.

Zelda knelt up on the bed and turned the pin to lower the wick, turning the lantern out. She fell back to her hip on the bed, feeling her way to the top of the bed and crawling under the blankets. It wasn't completely dark, light still coming from downstairs where Link was probably still preparing for bed, but Zelda couldn't help but feel slightly blinded by the unfamiliarity of Link's house. His mattress was comfortable, not as comfortable as her own back home perhaps, but for a man such as Link, whom had more than likely spent his fair share of nights sleeping on the ground out in the wilds of hyrule Field, it was enough. The layers on top of her felt heavy, but the one closest to her felt soft, she squeezed at it and found it to also be filled with down, then on top of that, there lay another two woollen blankets. She wasn't sure how cold Link was expecting her to get, but was pleased he had thought to be prepared in any case.

She finally lay her head down on his pillow, lying on her side with her back to the slightly drafty window, shifting until she was comfortable and being mindful of her swollen ankle. She inhaled in a sigh and caught the scent from Link's pillow. Pausing for a moment, she closed her eyes and turned her face into the fabric covering, inhaling long and deep as she took in the scent of Link. Earthy was the first word that came to mind, like dirt right after rain. And woody, not the same as the crafted wooden bench that had clung to the blanket, but of the wild, of the forest that surrounded Link's home. The sweet smell of hay and animals, horse and what she assumed must be the goats he worked with. In her mind's eye she could see a tired and work weary Link climbing his ladders and crawling into his bed, and sleeping exactly where she was lying. She turned her face away and noticed the heat at the tips of her ears and imagined them to be quite red.

An unusually strong gust of wind buffeted the front of the house and strained at the shutters. Curling in on herself under the blankets, she shivered despite her layers, deciding whether or not to invest in the spare blankets already or wait to see if she warmed up eventually. Everything seemed to suddenly get darker and she opened her eyes in alarm before realising that Link must have shut of the lanterns downstairs, and that after a moment of adjustment, the darkness wasn't as complete as she first thought. Instead the dim, warm, orange light from the earthen fireplace cast fuzzy, dancing shadows on the walls and ceiling, and as she shivered again, Zelda found herself wondering where Link had bedded down, and if he was as cold as she was.

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It didn't end on a question this time

Thank you very much to those who favorited, followed and reviewed, it means a lot to know there are people reading and enjoying what I'm putting out there


	4. Chapter 4

Sleep never came easy in an unfamiliar place, even one as inviting as Link's house, or at least it had been when she was near the fire. Now at the top of the house in Link's bed, under all of his blankets, including the two spares he had left her in case she got cold, she continued to shiver. The constant rattling kept her awake and she could never quite tell if the rattling was the shutters at the nearby window, or her teeth chattering. In an effort to try and provide herself with some warmth, she had tried to relight the lamp, but just as Link had said, it would not light again after being turned out.

Cold sleepless nights were not unfamiliar to Zelda. She had endured many of them when Zant had had her imprisoned at the top of one of her own castle towers. It had been cold and lonely, and the large windows made it difficult not to look out at the twilight covering her kingdom, a reminder of her weakness. She had, of course, felt that she deserved the punishment, the isolation and the absence of the comforts her own quarters afforded. As the shadow Kargaroks had sailed passed her window emitting their haunting sounds, she had shivered much as she shivered now, wondering if she would ever leave that drafty tower, if the hero Midna sought would ever be found, and if they would succeed in ridding her kingdom of twilight, and returning Midna to her throne. How strange it felt that not only was the hero found, and not only did he succeed, but she would be lying in his bed not even a year later.

As another squall of wind and rain battered the side of the house and Zelda curled in on herself again, hiding from the intrusive thoughts of more branches falling from the surrounding trees, branches bigger and heavier than the one that had frightened her so much, perhaps so much bigger and heavier that they would crash through Link's roof. The loud scrape of what was presumably one of those branches had her upright in a flash. Heart pounding in her ears, she threw the blankets off of herself and crawled to the edge of the bed, bracing herself to stand and catching herself on the railing as she squinted down toward the ground floor. The fire had almost died by now and she could not see anything other than the slightly glowing embers in the corner of Link's house. Another scrape and her unease pushed her to feel along the railing for the edge of the landing.

She found the top of the ladder and slowly turned her back toward it, before pausing and wondering how on earth she was going to do this with her injured ankle. Would she be able to drop down and catch herself on her good leg without further injuring herself? Would she be able to climb down the ladder without putting any weight on her injury? There was only one way to find out. She knelt at the top of the ladder, holding onto the two vertical sections of wood and inched her way back, putting her good foot onto the rung first. Taking a breath and holding it, she moved her weight onto it, her injured foot coming down to rest on the same rung. She tried to slowly move her weight onto it, also trying to carry as much of it with her hands as she could, but the pain was sharp and fast, her breath rushed out of her with a little blossom of voice that sounded almost like a sob. This was going to be harder than she thought.

She thought back to how Link carried her up the ladders, the way his one hand was just to steady himself and his legs did most of the work, and was struck with an idea. If she could do that in reverse, use her one good leg to steady herself and have her arms do the work then she might just manage. Wrapping her arms around the ladder so as to hold onto it from behind, she slowly allowed them to take the brunt of her weight and she lowered herself down so that her feet found the next rung down. Moving her hands down a rung, still gripping the ladder from behind, she repeated the action. So far it was working, although she could see herself getting as tired as Link had done when carrying her up. When she reached the landing, she felt for the stump in order to sit and take a breather.

Zelda descended the second ladder the same way, tiring out that much faster, but with a triumphant smile she finally felt the solid floorboards of Link's ground floor underneath her bare feet. While still holding onto the ladder, she turned to squint through the darkness again, trying to locate her benefactor. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light the embers gave out, she could see a dark mass on the floor in front of the fireplace. Lowering herself down to the ground she crawled quietly and cautiously towards it. The sounds of the storm outside were duller at the bottom of the house, and as Zelda crawled closer, she could hear sleep heavy breathing coming from what appeared to be a nest of yet more blankets.

Hand reaching out, she dithered on where to rest it, not wishing to startle or touch anywhere inappropriate. Deciding on the highest point of the mountain of blankets, she gently shook what turned out to be Link's upturned shoulder from where he lay on his side. His breathing hitched and he let out a sleepy 'Hm?' as he stretched while turning his head back to look at her. Upon seeing that it was Zelda, and that she was on the floor, the _ground_ floor and therefore _not where he had left her_ , he sat up and stared at her confusedly, looking back up at the top of the house as though there could well possibly be two of her. "Whu? How? You-how?"

She laughed at his sleepy confusion and pushed at his shoulder again, indicating that she wanted him to move over, he complied without thinking, until she lifted the blankets and began to maneuver herself under them next to him. He let out a noise somewhere between protest and still confused sputtering but Zelda ignored him, instead settling down to lie on her side where Link had been and sighing in relief at his body warmed sheets. She smiled up at Link sheepishly, whispering "I was very cold." He blinked at her before pushing out a breath and pulling the sheets up over her, lying back down and facing her.

"Are you still cold?" He whispered back to her.

"A little." He gave her an odd half smile with slightly narrowed eyes before scooting closer. She felt his feet seek hers under the blankets, flinching when he found them and felt just how cold they were.

"You always say 'a little' when you mean 'a lot'." He gave a quiet chuckle as Zelda pouted at him. "I could go get the blankets from upstairs?" He suggested and Zelda huffed exasperatedly at him.

"How many blankets do you have?"

"Well I get one from Uli every birthday. She makes them on a loom from the goats wool." At Zelda's curious look he continued, averting his eyes and the ear tip she could see flushing darker. "Uli and her husband, Rusl, raised me. They live in the village. I used to live with them but moved to this house a few years after Colin was born." His eyes subconsciously flicked up to the pictograph of the children on the landing. "It wasn't that they didn't want me anymore, they didn't want me to move out, but they didn't really have the room for me, and this house had been left empty for a few years after the old Watchman died."

"How old were you?"

"Eleven. Maybe twelve. I don't really remember." He rolled onto his back, staring up into the darkness at the top of the house.

"You lived alone at twelves years old?"

"Sort of. Rusl and Uli, and the other adults in the village, came by every day to make sure I was alright. They taught me a lot, about how to cook food properly and how to store it. How to wash my clothes and generally look after myself. I'm very grateful for them." Zelda stared at Link as he lost himself in thought for a moment. She couldn't begin to imagine what Link's life had been like before he was dragged into the Goddesses' game of cycles. She herself knew of the stories through her reading and teachings at the castle. But while she had grown up, safe and warm, and wanting for nothing, Link had been learning to survive by himself from people who were clearly not the people who should have been teaching him.

"Link, what happened to your parents?" She almost regretted the whispered question as he turned his head slowly to her, examining her face before looking through her.

"I don't know." Zelda looked away, feeling like she had yet again ruined the companionable atmosphere with her insatiable curiosity. "I was found abandoned in Faron Woods when I was a baby. Rusl found me and brought me here. I was maybe a few days old, no-one knows for sure. My actual date of birth is assumed."

"I'm sorry." His eyes focussed on her abruptly.

"For what? I'm not. I could have died out there where I was left. Instead I was found and wound up with a huge family. I'm lucky. Sure, they're not related to me by blood, but if I've learned anything, it's that that doesn't matter anyway. There are people who hate the family they're born into, my real family didn't even want me. Blood, and where we come from, has got nothing to do with love, or the people we choose to care about." His voice rang in the quiet, Link seemingly not realising his voice had been rising as he spoke. He sighed, long and deep, closing his eyes and scrubbing his face with his hands, keeping his face covered as he calmed himself down.

"You're very strong, Link. And incredibly brave. And not just because of the triforce piece you were granted. In fact, I think it was granted to you because of the great courage you already had in you. And you're right, about all of it. You're very lucky to have so many people who care so much about you."

"What about you?" Link had removed his hands from his face, letting them rest on the floor above his pillow as his arms fell to the sides of his head. "What is your family like?" Zelda stared at him, the feeling of someone not knowing about her family history unfamiliar to her, almost every person in Hyrule knew about her family. She had to remind herself that technically Link wasn't from Hyrule and that news about the royal family may not reach this far south very often due to the perilousness of Faron woods.

"They're dead. My mother died at my birth, and my father died a year before the Twilight War. I'm all that's left." He turned to look at her then, and she smiled a brittle smile at him which he hesitantly returned. After a few moments of silence, Zelda suppressed another shiver and moved subconsciously closer to Link, seeking out the warmth another body radiated. He moved his right arm down, opening his side up for her to move into and allowing her to pillow her head on his upper arm. She wrapped her still chilled feet around his leg, being careful to move her left ankle in such a way it wouldn't get knocked if they shifted. He didn't seem to know where to put his hands, his left staying above his head while his right lay palm up on the ground behind her. She wished he would bring it around her shoulders, for the warmth she firmly told herself, not for any other want of comfort. She herself decided against the forwardness of resting her arm across his waist, feeling that that would be too familiar for someone she had only properly spoken to that day, instead nestling her hands against her chest to keep them warm.

They were silent for a few minutes, and Zelda was just starting to feel like sleep wasn't a complete lost cause when an ember in the grate popped, a little flare of light accompanying it and catching the metal of something hooked over the back of one of the wooden chairs they had been sitting at earlier. She tried to remember if she had noticed anything while she had spent most of the evening sat at the table, but she couldn't place it. Lifting her head up off of Link's arm to squint through the darkness at the vague shape of it, she began to see more of the intricate metal patterns adorning it. It wasn't until she able to make out the shape of the triforce that it clicked into place where she had seen it before and her eyes widened.

"Link? Is that the Master Sword?" She saw Link lift his head out of her peripheral vision.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I was meant to take it back to the grove today, but I had to turn back when the storm hit. It's dangerous to go wandering around the woods as it is, let alone in weather like this. Though I don't need to tell you that." She heard the amusement in his voice and turned in time to see his lopsided grin turn into a yawn as his head dropped back down.

"I wasn't aware you still held onto it." He shrugged the shoulder she wasn't leaning on as she lowered her head back down to rest.

"No one told me what to do with it when...everything was over. I just assumed I was to keep it safe."

"So what made you decide to take it back?"

"The light spirit. At the spring." He motioned vaguely with his hand before letting it drop back to the floor. "I...asked for advice and they told me to put it back. It isn't mine and the threat is over. I don't need it anymore but someday someone else might, so I have to put it back where it can be found by them."

Zelda was quiet, more questions buzzing in her head and she struggled between selecting which one to ask first, and deciding not to ask at all, aware that she had done almost nothing but question Link over the last hours. She was still torn when Link quietly spoke up again.

"I came back and everything felt different. Everyone treated me differently, things had changed too much. I didn't feel like I could be here for a while, I didn't belong here anymore, but when I travelled with the kids back from Karkariko, I didn't feel like out there was for me either. I was lost and aimless and torn between staying and going. So I asked for help. They'd helped me before, I figured they might help me again."

"And did they?" Link was quiet for some time, when she tilted her face to look up at him she could see his stare was far off and he looked to be chewing the inside of his cheek.

"Sort of. They told me to take the sword back." He huffed a breath. "And to give myself time." He sounded irritated and Zelda thought she understood. She had also been counselled similarly after the end of the war. Take time to heal herself after all she had been through. And to contemplate all that she still had to go through. Although she felt she couldn't complain too much, the time she had taken for herself had ended up with her sharing a makeshift bed with the hero of Hyrule, the very man she had been wishing to find. She couldn't help but feel that the goddesses had planned this. Her ankle gave a throb and she felt they could have done a better job of it, if it had been their design, she could have walked into him during a pleasant walk in the field rather than literally falling into his village and almost breaking her ankle in the process.

"Time heals all wounds. Or so they say." Zelda said quietly. He huffed again.

"Our time is short. We can't sit around waiting for something to make sense again or stop hurting. We do that and our time might run out, then it all will have been for nothing. A waste." The flat, defeated tone of his voice worried her. Why was he hurting? What didn't make sense?

"Sometimes we just have to wait. I know it feels like nothing will change if you're not moving, but you don't have to be moving all the time." She lifted her hand and placed it on his chest in a calming gesture. He turned his head to look at her again but his eyes still held an edge of hopelessness. "You don't have to go looking for or chasing purpose. Sometimes you just have to let things come to you, and figure out what to do with them once that happens." They remained silent for a while, just staring at each other, before a slow gentle smile spread over Link's face.

"Y'know, I reckon they're right about you. You _are_ wise." She smiled back. Then his eyes averted to the side and his smile turned playful. "Though saying that, I'm not sure it was wisdom that lead you to my neck of the woods." He chuckled as she huffed at him.

"Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Nope." He laughed louder when she turned her face away from him and removed her hand from his chest with a 'tut'. But she couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips from the sound of his genuine laughter. It was warm just like him. When he had calmed, she let her head fall back into a more comfortable position on his arm and moved slightly closer when he shifted to get more comfortable.

They remained quiet then, and after a while of silence, Zelda noticed that Link's breathing had deepened. Carefully glancing up at him, she could see he had fallen asleep. Shifting herself closer still, another pop from the fireplace caught the gold of the Master Sword's scabbard and she stared at it until Link's soft breathing backed by the rain also lured her into sleep.

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	5. Chapter 5

I struggled with this chapter for so long, then today I just sat down and it all just happened. I hope you enjoy it and that it was worth the wait :)

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Zelda's first semi coherent thought was that she was finally, pleasantly warm after the near constant chill that had plagued her since stepping out the castle gates the previous morning. She shifted and felt around for her human heat source, finding only goats wool blankets. Her brow creased and she stretched, wondering where Link had gone and how long ago. Rubbing at one eye with the back of her hand she blearily blinked open the other.

Link's house was bathed in the pale yellow of early morning sun coming through the trapdoor in the ceiling that had been opened, the storm seeming to have blown itself out going by the sounds of birds singing and the lack of wind and rain battering the walls. She glanced around, pushing herself up to a sitting position as her eyes settled on Link sitting at the table by her feet. He was reading a book and sipping from a steaming cup, dressed in a clean shirt laced to the top and a pair of light tan trousers in what seemed to be his usual style, apparently too engrossed to notice her stirring. It wasn't until she stretched and let out a yawn, perhaps a little noisier than she would have normally, that he lowered his book and gave a shy smile.

"How long have you been awake?" Her voice sounded slightly croaky even to her and he got up and stepped lightly around her pile of blankets to fetch her some water while he answered.

"About an hour, maybe a little more. I didn't want to wake you." She took the cup and sipped it gratefully as she watched him put more water on to boil. "Thought you could do with the rest after yesterday, seemed like you'd been through it."

"It was a trying day." Zelda agreed, sipping more water and inwardly delighting in the fact that Link grabbed his tea from the table and then sat on the floor with her rather than reclaiming his seat. Still covered in his woollen blankets, she could finally see the patterns woven into them in the sunlight, using her free hand she pulled and straightened the top most blanket to better see the design. Dark muted colours, a green field with the black, simplified silhouettes of what was presumably Ordon goats with their halo of horn. Black, bare trees lined the woven pasture and a yellow sun hung over the centre of a red sky. Red, green and black lines of patterns separated one pasture from another further down the blanket.

"This one's my favourite." Link said quietly as she examined it, playing with the corner that was nearest to him. She could see why, it had been so obviously, painstakingly, lovingly made for him by someone who seemed to know and love him very much. Thinking that it would be quite interesting to meet the people who raised Link, she sipped her water and traced the patterns with her fingers as he got to his feet to see to the water boiling in the fireplace. Would he reflect those who had nurtured and taught him? She couldn't imagine he looked much like them but did his behaviour, his softly spoken yet clearly somewhat educated words, his kind yet cautious demeanor and shyness, did he get that from them? Or were they perhaps the result of his trials. He'd said that he didn't feel like he fit in here anymore, was it him that was different now and the people around him remained the same? Had he been a different person before the Twilight War? Perhaps he had laughed more freely and easily, or he had been loud and obnoxious like the young men of Castle Town looking to prove themselves and find their place in the world. Or perhaps he'd always been quiet and softly spoken, but with the quest had come the caution, the strength and keen senses a fighter would have to develop in order to remain alive.

She looked up when his leg purposely leaned into her shoulder from where he stood next to her, holding a mug from the top by the tips of his fingers so that she could grab the handle from him. She murmured her thanks and he dipped his head with a smile as he turned away back to the kitchen just behind her. He had always been kind she decided as she blew across the surface of the tea to cool it. He had so freely and willingly given up his home to her, his clothing, his bed. He had been nothing but respectful toward her, and although part of her suspected it was because of her social status, a larger part of her knew that it was just Link, and the desire to meet the people who had instilled in him these traits grew stronger.

"What would you like to eat? I have Cuccoo eggs," Zelda turned to watch Link move around the shelving unit at the end of his kitchen workbench, opening jars and uncovering bowls and baskets to see what provisions he had before disappearing down the ladder that lead to his cellar. He reappeared a moment later. "And that's about it for breakfast things. I can run into the village for some more bread and maybe some bacon?" He rubbed the back of his neck as though embarrassed at having been caught unprepared for company. "I thought I would be gone a day or two returning the sword so I didn't bother buying food in case it spoiled while I was away."

"I don't want you to have to go through any trouble for me." He was already moving towards the door.

"It's no trouble, I'll only be a minute." He had just finished putting his boots on when he paused and looked up at her. "Don't lock me out this time."

Zelda offered a sheepish smile. "I won't." He nodded and unbolted the door. "Link?" He turned back to look at her. "Is there perhaps somewhere in the village where I can take a bath?" He blinked at her a few times before nodding slowly.

"I can run you a bath." He moved back across the boards of his house, disappearing down into his cellar again. Zelda heard faint sounds of him shifting things around, suddenly feeling like she was making work for him she made to get up to limp over to the banister and tell him not to bother when he appeared, slowly making his way back up ladder one handed yet again he hoisted a modestly sized, well used looking metal bath over his head and back. He stepped onto the flat and put it down in the space at the back, then as he walked back towards her he lifted the lid from the barrel and placed it on his workbench, grabbing the pot from his fire, he filled it with water and placed it back on to warm. Fetching a bucket from the bench near the door he filled that with water too and went and gently tipped it into the metal bath. He did this a few more times, filling the bath partway while he waited for the water over the fire to heat. Zelda had never known so much work went into preparing a bath. Her baths back at the castle were always prepared for her by her maids, and were always ready by the time she reached her rooms.

Link filled the bucket once more and placed it on the floor next to the bath before walking towards Zelda. He shot her a quick smile as he stepped around her and fetched the stool he'd tucked under the table out of the way. He took it back over to the bath and placed it near the bath. He then seemed to rethink something and returned for a chair as well, moving the stool and bucket to the other side of the bath. He disappeared downstairs again before returning with a wooden box under his arm. He placed this on stool and retrieved from inside of it a towel which he flung over the back of the chair. He also removed a small wooden jug and dropped it into the bucket of water, the rest of the things he left inside. He stood and looked at his work for a moment as though making sure he hadn't forgotten anything before fetching the almost bubbling water from the fire. He carefully carried it over to the bath and tipped it in bit by bit, occasionally stopping to test the water. When he finally deemed it fit, he returned his pot to the fire and held his hands out to Zelda to help her to her feet.

Taking his hands and feeling more than a little spoiled, she allowed him to help her to her feet and support her as they moved over to the bath. She could see it steaming slightly but it didn't look too hot, in fact it looked incredibly inviting, she couldn't wait to wash away the previous day. Sitting down on the chair she listened intently as Link pointed out the things he had brought for her.

"The towel is there, and there's soap and a cloth in the box," He pointed to the stool where he'd left the box, "there's a comb in there too I think. Uh, it should be hot enough but there's cool water in the bucket." He turned to look over at where he'd hung her dress to dry the night before on one of the ropes crossing his walls. "I think your dress may be ruined." Zelda couldn't see it from where she was sitting but was inclined to agree from what she remembered of the state of it. "I'll find you some clothes more suited to you while I'm in the village." Zelda thanked him while wondering exactly what he meant.

"Will you need any help?" Her head shot up and he coloured immediately from the tips of his ears to the bridge of his nose. He tried to speak and it came out raspy so he cleared his throat before trying again. "I can ask someone in - a woman- in the vill- Uli could- to help-" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily. "Would you like me to ask Uli to help you, if you need it?" Zelda's face felt warm but she tore her eyes away from the flustered hero to look over the bathing set up.

"Uhm, I think I'll be fine. Thank you." He nodded his head.

"I'll, uh, leave you to it then." He retreated, still sporting a rosy hue and loosed the curtain to give her more privacy. She sat staring after him until she heard the door open and close behind him. Taking a deep breath Zelda turned her attention back to the bath. This was going to be interesting, but if she made it down two ladders in the dark on a bad ankle she was sure she would be able to bathe herself. She stripped off her borrowed clothing and carefully stood, leaning on the edge of the metal tub as she braced herself, quickly lifting her good leg and placing it into the bath so she could take the weight off her bad leg. Releasing her breath she used the sides of the tub to lever herself down into the water.

It felt glorious. The water was on the warmer side but she hardly minded. The hotter the better to soothe her aching muscles and help relieve some of the pain in her ankle. Sinking down as low as she was able in the modest tub, she sighed happily. She wanted to stay here in this hot water forever. After a few minutes of just soaking her troubles away, she sat up again and looked over to the box Link had left her. This must have been where Link kept the tools necessary for maintaining his personal hygiene. He used these things. He took baths in this very tub. Trying her hardest not to think too much on that and banish any mental images that came with that realisation she reached over to explore inside the box. Inside sat a wooden comb, a small wooden box with the word 'Soap' carved into the top, a soft washcloth, two small tins of what appeared to be some kind of white powder, one smelling pleasantly fresh, a wooden handled straight razor, and a small wooden handled toothbrush.

Zelda understood quickly that the bathing routines of princesses and goat herder -turned-heros were very different. Zelda was expected to be pristine and immaculate at all times and a lot of work and maids fussing went into making her so. Lotions for her skin, lotions for her hair, all heavily perfumed so as to remain sweet smelling all day, makeup applied to cover her more human aspects and to give the impression of perfection, almost divinity. The products that lined her shelves in her room were numerous and expensive but she doubted Link would find them in any way necessary given his small box of effects. Did he use this soap to wash both hair and body? She supposed it made life easier, especially when out traversing the country, not having many things to carry and using as little as possible. She almost envied his simpler way of living. Almost.

Taking out the soap box and washcloth, she let the cloth soak in the water while she fumbled open the box with slippery wet fingers. Finally managing the pry the box open she found a bar of white soap. Giving it a sniff as she set its box aside she was pleasantly surprised with a clean and fresh smell, like laundry that had been recently washed. Lathering the soap she decided to start with her hair, using the bar to rub the suds into her tresses. When she thought it was sufficiently cleansed she reached for the jug and used it to pour water over her head to rinse the soap out of her hair. Pushing her hair back and away from her face she fished the cloth from the water and concentrated on lathering it with the soap.

"Link?" Zelda jumped so badly she dropped the soap and cloth into the water. She hadn't heard the door open and the sound on an unfamiliar female voice had her heart racing. Link really needed to stop leaving her alone in his house. "Link?" Zelda heard the dull thud of bare feet on the wooden floor and realised with a jolt that whomever was there was heading her way.

Feet could be seen under the hem of the curtain and it had just barely lifted aside when Zelda managed to choke out "He's not here."

The stranger foze. Zelda held her breath, subconsciously covering herself. "Who... I mean, do you know where I can find him?"

"He went into the village a short while ago." There was a pause.

"Thank you, uh Miss…?" Zelda panicked. Should she tell them who she was? They were clearly a friend to Link if they wandered into his house unannounced. But still, she felt uneasy giving away her identity.

"I'm a friend of Link's." She settled for. The stranger paused again.

"A friend from his travels?"

"Yes, you could say that." Another pause, painfully long this time.

"...Midna?"

This time it was Zelda's turn to pause. Midna? How did this girl- woman- _stranger_ \- know of Midna? Surely Link wouldn't have told her. He hadn't told Zelda and she'd _been_ there. She knew Midna before _he_ did.

"No. I'm not Midna." Zelda hadn't meant for that to come out so cold.

"Oh, sorry, uhm...What's your name the-"

"Ilia?"

Link's voice could be heard faintly as though coming from outside. Zelda saw the girl's feet facing the other way, the curtain swinging slightly where she must have dropped it and assumed she must have jumped and span on the spot to face the door she had left open. He called again and the girl's feet disappeared.

Sitting completely still and breathing as shallow as possible, Zelda strained to hear their conversation.

"There you are, I've been looking for you."

"I was looking for you too, I have Epona at the spring in case you wanted her. Fado said he found her in the barn this morning. Wet and muddy, might I add." This last bit was tacked on sharply and Zelda could imagine the sheepish look on Link's face.

"Yeah uh, we got caught in the storm."

"'We?' You mean you and your friend?" Zelda cringed at the almost accusatory tone in the girl's voice and wondered who this girl was to Link. She didn't want to cause any trouble in Link's life.

"Have...have you met her?"

"We've spoken."

"Why are you saying it like that? You weren't rude to her were you?"

"No, I was not rude!"

"Ilia…" Link sounded slightly exasperated.

"I _wasn't_!"

"Wait, come back I need to ask you something!" Their voices faded as Link had obviously followed after where this Ilia had gone. Zelda took and held a breath for a moment before pushing it out slowly. This complicated things. It wasn't so bad that Link knew who and where she was. It suddenly dawned on her that Link was actually the _only_ person to know where she was. For all her council knew, she had gone missing and perished in the storm. That was an urgent matter that needed addressing. Quickly scrubbing herself down and nobbling out of the tub, she wrapped herself in the towel and sat on the chair waiting for Link to return with any clothing he may have been able to find for her.

Just as she started to get cold from sitting in just a towel with wet hair, the sound of boots on the ladder startled her into awareness. The door had been left wide open she suddenly realised. She hoped it was Link. Please let it be Link.

"Zelda?" Thank the goddesses.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? Sorry I was so long."

"I'm fine."

"Sorry about… if my friend offended you." Her clipped tone must have registered with him and she immediately felt guilty.

"She didn't. I was just taken by surprise."

"Yeah she sort of just does what she wants. She means no harm though." She could hear him sigh and move around a bit on the other side of the curtain. "She's going to bring you some clothes in a minute."

"That's kind of her." Link remained silent and Zelda hoped that didn't mean Ilia was forced into it. Link didn't seem like the kind of person to do that though. "Did you explain to her why you needed them?"

"Sort of. I wasn't sure if I should tell her about who you really are so I just said you were someone I met in the storm and needed help." At least that fell in line with what she had told Ilia. A friend from his travels didn't have to mean one he met during the twilight war. Zelda was distracted by the sound of a pan sizzling and a few moments later the delicious smell of bacon permeated the air. He stomach rumbled and she hoped she would be able to dress and eat soon.

* * *

Enter Ilia!

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If you notice any glaring errors let me know and I'll fix them, otherwise I hope you enjoyed it


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